Pike Flies and Weight

L_soult

L_soult

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The Boss Man just bought a new shop that has a pike stream behind it. The Sandy Lick. It's locally known for having monster pike.

I'll be spending some time there as the business expands. I get an hour lunch.

I was hoping someone can give me some advice on catching pike. I have a 5 wt rod and some black and olive wooley buggers. Will that be enough?
 
I'm definitly no pike experts but i'd try a 7 or 8 weight rod.
 
Only use I've heard that suits a 7 and 8 weight rod was for pike and musky fishing.
 
I forgot to ask about tippet size. The thickest I have is 4x.
 
I think you're going to want something bigger than a bugger. If you put together an order with STP, consider adding some of their saltwater files to your arsenal. I picked up some Crafty Sculpins, for night fishing for browns, but I imagine they would work for pike as well.

And +1 on the 7 - 9 wt rod.
 
Here is a good free read about pike on the fly. Musky and other toothy fish are covered as well.


http://books.google.com/books?id=ansEuXcq9tEC&pg=PA152&lpg=PA152&dq=pike+fishing+sandy+lick&source=bl&ots=eu7jRi3Lw3&sig=ZY0FTo5hx7FmIuuTygAstvdxeyU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=W04cUeSYGNCr0AH3lYGIDg&ved=0CGQQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=pike%20fishing%20sandy%20lick&f=false
 
L_soult wrote:
I was hoping someone can give me some advice on catching pike. I have a 5 wt rod and some black and olive wooley buggers. Will that be enough?

Yep - fish with what yuh got.
First off, don't be deceived by the pics you see of giant pike in magazines or on TV. Almost all of those are remote lakes in Canada. It's highly unlikely you will see giant pike of this size (4 feet long) in the creek you describe or anywhere else in PA (although it's possible). Most pike in PA will average 20-28" and a fish over 30" is big. Certainly, a 7-9WT rod would be ideal but you can chase 'em with lighter stuff - just casting the larger streamers is difficult with a trout size rod.
Wooly buggers are good - if you tie or have a friend that does, ask them to tie the WB's with lots of flash and some brighter colors. You'll need a short wire leader. Pike are best targeted in early spring. I chase 'em on lakes from ice out until about mid April - after that, they go deep and really aren't catchable with fly gear. Look for a weedy or brushy section of the creek that has slack water; avoid riffles and fast current. If the water is up over brushy, shoreline vegetation - this is a good springtime spot.
 
Fishidiot wrote:
L_soult wrote:
I was hoping someone can give me some advice on catching pike. I have a 5 wt rod and some black and olive wooley buggers. Will that be enough?

Yep - fish with what yuh got.
First off, don't be deceived by the pics you see of giant pike in magazines or on TV. Almost all of those are remote lakes in Canada. It's highly unlikely you will see giant pike of this size (4 feet long) in the creek you describe or anywhere else in PA (although it's possible). Most pike in PA will average 20-28" and a fish over 30" is big. Certainly, a 7-9WT rod would be ideal but you can chase 'em with lighter stuff - just casting the larger streamers is difficult with a trout size rod.
Wooly buggers are good - if you tie or have a friend that does, ask them to tie the WB's with lots of flash and some brighter colors. You'll need a short wire leader. Pike are best targeted in early spring. I chase 'em on lakes from ice out until about mid April - after that, they go deep and really aren't catchable with fly gear. Look for a weedy or brushy section of the creek that has slack water; avoid riffles and fast current. If the water is up over brushy, shoreline vegetation - this is a good springtime spot.

Anything bigger than a native is a monster to me :)
 
I was just reading a John Geirach book today, and he was talking about pike fishing in the midwest. Not sure if his technique holds for pike around here (he was fishing a lake, and I imagine the fish were bigger than they'd be around here), but I think he said he was using an 8 or 9 weight. He called the flies "bunny" flies - big furry flies tied with strips of rabbit fur. Said that black and black/red work, but that brighter colors work better in clear water/sunny days. He was also using a 50lb shock tippet to keep the fish from bighting through the leader.

I imagine a 5wt may be a little light if you're expecting bigger fish... of course I don't speak from experience - never caught a pike on a fly.
 
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